Ice and Shivers
by Kyla45
Summary: There was no need, he supposed, for either of them to be cold that night... Twoshot. Kanda & Allen
1. Ice

Allen Walker was certain that the universe hated him. Either that, or he attracted bad juju like drunks to a bar.

And really, things could not possibly get any worse – _crack._

" Ah!" Oh no wait, stupid Allen, of course they _could. _

Hanging on for dear life as the cold spread everywhere, Allen tried to think rationally. How were you supposed to get out of an ice hole again? Spread your weight?...No, that's what you did so you _don't _fall in. Right.

It must've been the universe that decided. Decided what? Well, that while he was separated from his partner, and while he had just finished battling a level two akuma in the middle of a frozen lake, it would be a splendid idea to make him plummet into said icy hell so that his entire body started shivering uncontrollably.

_All on Christmas eve_.

Yes, a mission on the day before Christmas. Despite Allen's chagrin, he'd only been told that akuma didn't take _holidays_. But the real cherry on top of his cake was that _Kanda Yuu_ happened to be his partner; out of all the rotten luck, Allen had hit the jackpot. Kanda was the most stuck-up, grumpy-ass jerk-idiot he'd ever known. Very un-festive on top of that. Of course, he wasn't anywhere to be found at the moment, God forbid they actually worked as a team.

Yeah. The universe hated him.

And now he was going to freeze to death, wading in water so cold it felt like tiny knives were piercing him. He couldn't get enough warmth to his arms, not enough strength to pull himself out. His Innocence was long since rendered useless, his energy had been completely spent.

Oh, this was so pathetic. If he was really going to die, he felt he should put up more of a fight, but he couldn't...because all he really wanted to do was close his eyes.

Allen dimly noted that hypothermia was added to his string of lovely. Which was, of course, perfect.

He allowed himself one hopeless groan, thinking about all he would be leaving behind if he really did die. The thought sent a shock of panic through him, but he was too tired. This day didn't seem like it could get any worse, but Allen knew that it would when, say, his heart slowed until it wasn't beating anymore. Well...

–

" Ugh," Allen's disgruntled moan startled himself. Was he still alive? His chest was rising and falling and he could feel his frozen limbs, so yes, alive. He knew right away that he wasn't in the lake of doom anymore, so that was a good thing, too.

" So you're not dead." The voice sounded disappointed.

Eyes widening, Allen put together the pieces as quickly as he could. Kanda? Kanda was here, and Allen himself was alive, so that had to mean that...Kanda had saved him. There wasn't any other way to look at it, unless of course, he was in his own personal hell.

" Sorry to dash your hopes," Allen mumbled, his voice hoarse, his throat feeling like scratchy sand paper.

" Hn."

Having been more than a little groggy, Allen suddenly realized just how close Kanda's voice was. And it wasn't something his hearing had registered, no, he'd _felt_ it. Felt the slight rumble of his chest, the God damn vibrations.

Peering into the darkness that surrounded him, Allen registered that he was pressed very closely against Kanda, and his own hands were tangled in the other's shirt – what he'd initially thought was a blanket.

Immediately accompanying the thought that he really must be in hell, his abused throat let out a surprising yell that he didn't know he had the breath for.

" Moyashi," Kanda's voice was annoyed. " I'll only tell you this once, so _shut up._"

" What are you_ doing_?" Allen's plea came out as a gurgled screech. His throat was burning, and it felt like he couldn't breath, as though there was a huge weight crushing his lungs.

" Nothing. You're the one clutching at me." Kanda's voice had that steely calm about it, the kind that meant he was on the verge of killing someone. Something like the calm before the storm.

Allen realized he was still huddling his body in an embarrassing way around Kanda's, and his hands were still grabbing and refusing to let go. But God, he was still so cold, his body quivering, the lack of feeling actually_ painful_, and Kanda was so warm! He couldn't be blamed, not in this situation!

" ...You're not the one who fell into a frozen lake," the boy managed defensively, refusing to acknowledge his position. Kanda scoffed harshly, mocking him, perhaps momentarily distracted. Allen was starting to wonder when he was going to be thrown back violently.

" Where are we?" Allen asked, changing the subject, something primal inside of him needing to cling to the warmth as long as he could.

" In a cave, because of you. The inn's a couple days away, because fo you. And now that you're awake, you can let go of me, Moyashi." There was a not-so-subtle warning tone in his voice.

Allen was about to answer something scathing, when he noticed the stiff position of Kanda's body, and the way his hands were kept exclusively to himself. It was obvious the older boy was trying his hardest not to touch Allen, and the white-haired Exorcist couldn't help but feel annoyed. Was it because he was cursed, or just because Kanda was a prick who didn't like him? Well, it wasn't like he was diseased or anything, and enemy or no, he was damned _freezing_.

Partly because he wanted to piss the other off, and partly because he really wanted to, Allen quickly started working his numb digits through the Exorcist's coat, tearing buttons in his pursuit. Spreading fabric aside with the patience of someone who'd been waiting a century, he finally met bare skin – heated, hot skin. Allen actually had to stop himself from hissing at the sensation. He splayed his hands out, palm down.

" What the _hell_ are you doing?" Kanda's voice was now not only bordering on murderous, it was a couple notches past that point.

" Trying to warm up, Bakanda," he said, as though it should have been obvious.

" Get your hands _off_."

" If you let me freeze to death, Lenalee will never forgive you," Allen stated simply, nudging one of his feet in between the older boy's shins, seeking as much warmth as he could. To hell with personal boundaries, anyway, this was a life or death situation. Allen wasn't stupid, and he knew it was all fine and well to be out of the lake, but unless he could keep warm, he wouldn't make it through the night.

" Oi, Moyashi, you underestimate my desire for your death. Keep touching me like this, and I'll throw you back into the lake," he hissed. Allen noted with a falling spirit that there was a real threat in his words.

Sighing heavily, Allen fumbled for a while, bringing out one chilled hand from inside Kanda's coat. Instead of following the procedure with his other hand, Allen promptly gripped one of Kanda's wrists as best he could, and brought it to his face.

" Look, I'm still fighting off hypothermia, and I really don't want your help, but I can't generate enough body heat on my own." Allen pulled the resisting hand so that it touched his cheek, feeling Kanda's fingers fisting.

" See?" he mumbled quietly, knowing he was really pushing his luck with all this touching. At least his frigid skin might give the Japanese boy some idea as to how cold he really was.

" Moyashi." At the warning, Allen let go of the wrist. So much for that stroke of brilliance; the boy didn't even know why he tried.

And at trying to prove the severeness of his own predicament, Allen seemed to feel it all the more. His wet clothing was frozen into one stiff position, and it encased him in a shell of coarse coldness. He couldn't really feel his limbs, and even moving was a pain. His lips were probably blue, his lids probably frosted with ice. The compulsive shivering was exhausting.

He knew that in situations like these – he'd even seem them in cheesy movies – the girl and the boy would get naked and keep close to share their heat, and it always worked. Both for advancing the romantic storyline and for keeping them alive. But Kanda was a boy, and so was Allen. He supposed that threw a wrench in the plan. Though, because he was dealing with Kanda, that was enough of a wrench to begin with.

Lavi would probably help him out, he thought distantly.

Though Allen highly doubted (knew unfailingly) that Kanda would ever submit himself to being _kind_ for a change. It was, perhaps, something that _might_ happen if hell ever froze over. Which is to say, it would never happen. After all, now the jerk wasn't even going to let him catch some of his exuded heat.

So if Kanda wasn't going to help, Allen wasn't going to degrade himself any further. He wasn't going to beg.

" Fine, Bakanda," there was only a trace amount of tired, angry exasperation in his voice, but he couldn't quite help it. He had a right to feel bitter, didn't he? He never asked Kanda for anything, so couldn't he help...just this once?

Allen started to wiggle at a more platonic distance, so as not to disturb his Royal Asshole's bubble. The hard ground against his circulation-challenged skin hurt enough to make him yelp, but he swallowed it.

" Lenalee really is going to hate you," Allen said, as his final curse. He knew the older boy wouldn't give a damn if he did die, but at least Lenalee would care, and maybe she'd give Kanda hell for him.

Trying not to think of how probable it was that he'd fall asleep and never wake up, Allen curled in on himself, breathing into his hands stubbornly. Without the subtle warmth of Kanda, the boy could feel the change immediately. His breathing became even more sporadic, and his body trembled with the arctic touch still pervading his sensory system.

_This is the worst Christmas eve ever_, Allen couldn't help but think.

There was a loud huff that seemed booming in the relative silence. Allen opened his half lidded eyes, never once realizing that they had been closing.

" Che, alright, damn moron, consider this a favor you will spend the rest of your life repaying Tell anyone, and I'll skewer you," Kanda gritted out harshly.

" What?" the boy was vaguely startled at how hushed his voice was, how weak.

" Idiot, Moyashi."

Next thing Allen knew, he was roughly scooped up into a sitting position, where his Exorcist coat was torn from his body. The loss of protection, however feeble, actually made him whimper as he was left in nothing but a thin shirt and damp pants.

Then deft fingers began undoing his shirt buttons, and Allen didn't have the strength to protest, so he gasped out again when his shirt was tossed aside

" Kanda," he growled. The older boy payed him no attention, and actually tugged sharply at his boots, man handling them until they popped loose. The younger flopped onto the ground heavily without the support of Kanda, and he angrily gasped out another swear. Then, his pants were being slid reluctantly from his legs, leaving him in nothing but thin boxers.

Allen couldn't prevent the tortured whimper that left his lips this time. He had a mind to curse Kanda again, until he realized that the older boy was shrugging out of his coat.

In a fluid motion, Kanda's hands encircled the freezing boy, pulling him tightly against his chest despite Allen's cringe-worthy outer temperature. The Japanese boy lay down, bringing the white-haired Exorcist with him, tucking him as neatly as possibly into his own body.

He was only slightly annoyed when icy hands immediately came to press against his bare chest, and a head nuzzled frantically into the crook of his neck. The hips that nudged against him and the legs that tangled with his own did, however, annoy him a lot.

Sighing again, he wrapped his Exorcist coat around them both, making sure it covered the smaller boy completely.

Settling down now, Kanda noticed the boy's shuddering breathing, and the way his whole body was shaking. His skin was like pure ice. He frowned, glaring at the crown of white hair underneath his chin, before tightening his arms around Allen.

Pressed flush together now, Allen absorbed the given warmth with fervor, praising whatever small part of Kanda's soul had made him do this. _Thankyouthankyouthankyou _he chanted in his head.

He would regain the scraps of his pride as soon as he warmed up, Allen told himself, as soon as he warmed up...

Allen was almost on the verge of a voicing a begrudging thanks, but he couldn't forestall the slow fluttering of his eyelids anymore, nor could he deny how increasingly comforting the solid heat was. The chest that rose and fell in perfect rhythm was strangely lulling against his shaking body.

He let his fingers curl against the chest, and his breathing started to even out. The warmth was seeping ever so wonderfully into his body, and with a resigned (though no less appalling) revelation, he realized he was relating _comfort_ to _Kanda_. The thought startled him, but not himself to stop him from falling asleep in a matter of seconds.

Kanda felt Allen relaxing, and some tiny ounce of relief settled in his stomach. For a long time, he lay awake, senses pulled tight; listening for any threats. He mentally abused himself for his situation, one that he'd wholly had a hand in making worse. After all, he'd been the one to dig his hole deeper. He knew he couldn't let Allen die, no matter how he wished to do so. It would cause too many problems when he returned to the Order, and he liked avoiding problems that involved people.

But now, for all his logic, he was practically cuddling with his sworn enemy, if Allen was even worthy enough to be granted such a title. It was more along the lines of 'moronic numbskull.'

A sleepy moan brought his attention to the present, and he rattled off a string of curses as he felt Allen's lips brush against his skin with the motion. He was going to kill Allen, slowly and painfully, and then he'd throw him back in the lake. For good measure.

While Kanda concentrated on trying to fall asleep (the sooner to be done with this whole mission) he unconsciously secured his arms a little tighter around the sleeping Brit. There was no need, he supposed, for either of them to be cold that night...

–

When Allen woke up, he felt dozy and heated. The older boy's arms were heavy and soothing around him. He was completely unthawed, and then there was the way he just seemed to _fit_ into the mold of Kanda's body..

With a rush of color to his face, the boy squeezed his eyes shut, wondering what in the _hell_ he'd just thought. Best not to dwell on it any further, he concluded, slightly panicked.

Desperate for distraction, he instead focused on his surroundings, taking in the very dim light of early morning. He looked up at Kanda, registering that he was still sleeping, something like peacefulness shaping his face. When he'd stared longer than was necessary, he hurriedly tucked his head back into the niche of the other's shoulder, cringing. He didn't like how he had to physically stop himself from humming. He was so warm. Kanda was so warm.

His fingers, no longer creaky at all, curled against Kanda's chest like before, reveling in the oddly familiar feel. Some of the other's long hair tickled his nose, but somehow, he didn't mind. In fact, he was dimly aware that he didn't mind the closeness at all. He didn't mind, even though he knew he should.

Worriedly, Allen nestled his body closer to Kanda's, closing the infinitesimal gap. For the added warmth, he told himself, and nothing more.

He sighed softly against the bare skin, wondering if falling into the lake had somehow altered him.

" Merry Christmas, bastard," he whispered. Out of courtesy, he told himself, and nothing more. As it was, his heart was suddenly beating too fast, so he willed himself to calm down, instead listening to the quiet thrumming of Kanda's heartbeat. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep again, warily ignoring all the crazy-bells going off in his head.

Meanwhile, Kanda, who'd heard the quiet greeting, scowled. Damn idiot was such a sentimental freak.

And more so, Allen had a death wish. He must have.

Kanda Yuu did not do well with close proximity, to anyone, and most certainly not his hated enemy. He also did not do well when the close proximity made him react in ways he didn't count on. His protective enclosure around the idiot, for one, and the fact that he didn't feel like untangling from said idiot.

_It wasn't normal_. He hated Allen, so why wasn't he...thinking hatefully? The embrace, he told himself for the thousandth time, couldn't be helped. Ah, damn it, this was overly confusing.

And worst of all, Allen's lips against his skin had sent an ill advised shiver down his spine, _again. _

_Fuck. _

* * *

I have spiffed this up a bit, because...I just had to. Anyhow, hope it's better now, if the changes I've made are at all noticeable.

Leave me a review? SIGH. Well, I just wanted to do a quickie, and I also wanted to do something for Christmas. SO here it is folks, have a good one!!! (Yullen ftw...?)

Merry Christmas! & Happy New Year!

Much love,  
Kyla


	2. Shivers

As soon as that hellish mission was over, Allen retreated to the kitchen to eat until he couldn't eat anymore.

Then he'd gone and hidden under his blankets, burrowing himself into a little nest of meant-to-be warmth.

When he'd separated from Kanda, well, when the other had roughly shoved him away, the cold had immediately clung to him, biting into his skin like a leech with sharp teeth. He'd struggled into his freezing half-dry clothes, and the rest of the way to the Black Order had been a nightmare.

The cold had never stopped clinging.

And even now, fully dressed in dry clothes, and under his blankets, he couldn't warm up.

He gave a frustrated grumble, aiming it at the powers that be. He just wanted to retain his regular body temperature. Not even the best cooked meal in the world could compare to the feeling of heat right now. In pure single minded fashion, the fact that Allen couldn't warm up started to gnaw at him.

So in his distraught condition, he went to try and get some advice. There had to be something wrong with him, surely.

He hounded down Lenalee when he spotted her in the hall.

" Lenalee!" he called, smiling as he walked to her.

" Allen! Back from your mission?"

" Yes, and I think something happened to me over there," he said tersely, his voice lowering to accommodate the severity of the situation.

" Like what?" she asked, the curiosity evident in her eyes.

" I can't get warm anymore, and I really don't know why. No matter what, it seems impossible!"

Lenalee looked at him strangely for a while, before giggling behind her hand. Only Allen could be so endearing when he was confused over nothing.

" You've probably just got the chills, no need to fret about it, Allen. Anyway, I've got to be going now, I'm on another coffee run for my brother. I'll see you around!"

And with that, Allen was left alone in the hallway, still quite cold, and now feeling agitated.

Frustrated and weary, he went to go look for Lavi, whom he knew was currently staying at the Oder for a bit. Lavi was sure to give good advice, and even if the advice wasn't good, he still knew a hell of a lot regardless.

He found Lavi lounging in the dining area, slouched lazily in one of the chairs. Allen felt relief wash over him, and tried to walk slowly to the seated Exorcist.

" Lavi!" he said, voice maybe a little too eager and hopeful.

" Oh, Allen! What's up?" the older boy eyed him with an amused glance.

" You know I just got back from a mission, right?" he asked as he pulled out a chair for himself.

" Yeah. Did anything interesting happen?"

" I fell into a frozen lake," he paused when Lavi huffed appreciatively. " And now, it's like I'm still in the lake; I can't warm up."

" Oh ho, really? What happened after that?"

Allen blanched, having forgotten about this particular detail. He knew he couldn't tell a soul about Kanda's act of humanity.

" Kanda and I camped out in a cave, because I couldn't really move."

Lavi made a face, sucking in a puff of air. " Sounds nasty. I can't say I would like to take a swim in waters like that, especially this time of the year."

" No," Allen agreed readily. " But look, this is horrible!" He pulled up the sleeve of his starched shit to show off the obvious goose bumps lurking there.

Lavi brought a hand to his chin contemplatively. He made a slow humming sound, and finally, his eyes lit up and he clapped his hands together in finality.

" I got it! Okay, how'd you warm up in the first place, in that cave?" he asked, with more than a healthy amount of interest. If Allen really had fallen into a frozen lake, there were only a select few ways for him to stay alive. Lavi was nothing if not curious.

Allen winced. " I...uh, I thought of a really warm place."

Lavi looked at the other boy for a long moment, then shrugged. " Well, simply put: however you warmed up _then_ should work _now_."

The white-haired Exorcist looked incredulous, suspecting that Lavi was just saying the first thing that came to his mind.

" You've got to be kidding! Why not tell me about some nutritional issue, or prescribe a day in bed. That's your best advice?"

" Yup!" Lavi said brightly. " Think about it, whatever got you through a night like that should be more than adequate enough to warm you up now."

" But," Allen faltered for a moment, thinking. " I don't want to have to rely on that, it was hard enough in the cave. Can't you just tell me this will pass in a few hours? Aren't you supposed to know everything?"

Lavi smirked. " I don't know everything, and besides, I'm honestly not sure about this. You know, your body just might not be able to warm up any other way. After such extreme conditions, it might not be able to recognize milder ones, and so it's not compensating like it should, or it can't."

" So what you're saying is...if I don't get warm how I got warm in the cave, I won't be able to get warm?" Allen translated, confused and dreadful.

" Yeah. Or, your body might adjust by itself, but from what you've told me..." Lavi shrugged again. " It's just a hunch, anyway," he said dismissively, his voice chipper.

" But hey, if I'm right, all you have to do is think of somewhere warm, right?" The older smiled a megawatt smile.

" Yeah," Allen said distantly, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Lavi." He excused himself, looking a little wobbly. Lavi chuckled to himself a bit.

That boy was an odd one. Odd and interesting.

--

Allen briefly, very _briefly_ considered what Lavi had said. Just go over to Kanda's room, cuss at him a bit, avoid death, and then force him to warm him up.

It was wrong on so many levels.

So very wrong, and yet, it was nearing 3AM in the morning, and the boy was still shivering under his covers. It was so ludicrous to consider that his body was _accustomed_ to Kanda's own, and now couldn't sleep without the extra body heat. All from one night of awkward intimacy that Allen had never ever wanted.

It was the most far-fetched, crazy, psycho thought Allen had ever entertained in his life.

And he was entertaining it, which was what scared him. First of all, it made no sense, second of all, it went against nature, or something. The very idea that Allen couldn't sleep without Kanda curled around him...

_Oh God_.

His entire form convulsed with a shiver that was not from the cold.

The bottom line in all of this was that there was something seriously wrong with Allen. Exponentially wrong, because now he was scrambling out of his bed, and yanking his door open, bare feet padding silently on the hallway floor.

There was something stupendously wrong.

Allen brought his hand up and started pounding on Kanda's bedroom door. The anger had been building in him during his short trek. Why should he have to suffer this insanity, why was he standing in front of his enemy's door in the middle of the night? This was all Kanda's fault, damn it!

The door flew open and there stood Kanda, the perfect picture of doom, as he glared a glare that would have reduced a lesser man into tears.

Allen scowled right back, opening his mouth — until he remembered what he was trying to ask.

" _What the fuck do you want, Moyashi?"_ Kanda snarled, his voice burred with sleep.

The pissed off look on Kanda's face seemed to inject some indignance into the younger. His fists clenched at the harsh words, and he rose to his full height.

" It's all your fault!" Allen sputtered angrily.

" What is—?" Kanda started in a growl, only to be cut off by a furious howl.

" Damn it, _you have to sleep with me right now!"_ Allen seethed, throwing up his hands, sure that he was due to foam at the mouth if he got any more worked up.

Kanda's eyes went wide, and he did a brilliant impersonation of a fish, opening his mouth without any sound coming out. He snapped it shut in an instant, narrowing his optics into menacing slits.

" What?" For the first time in a long while, Kanda genuinely wanted an answer to his question.

Allen stilled for a moment, blinking, knowing that his demand had came out all wrong. He did an additional double take. _Demand?_ Oh no, he wasn't demanding anything, especially not to get cozy with Kanda, never!

" I can't," the boy paused, frustrated, floundering now. " I can't warm up," he finished pathetically. God, he was tired.

" Not my problem," Kanda hissed immediately, starting to close his door. This was some kind of joke, it had to be. That damn idiot was mocking him for helping him back in that cave, and now he was taking liberties that no living being was allowed to take.

" No, wait!" Allen threw his weight against the door, mentally assuring himself he wasn't _desperate_ or anything like that.

" I didn't tell anyone, and I won't, but you have do this." It was like Allen was a completely different person, watching himself from outside of his body. Blackmail now? This was a new low, but he was still so cold, and he could remember only too vividly how warm Kanda was.

There was a long pause. The door was barely ajar, so the boy couldn't see the other's face, and he had no idea if he was suddenly going to meet death with a quick, precise jab from Mugen.

Allen waited with bated breath, refusing to ask himself why he was being so persistent about this, and the door finally creaked open.

" I'm going to kill you," was Kanda's 'welcome-to-my-room' hospitality.

The white-haired Exorcist had no time to respond, because he was busy staring around the room. He'd somehow imaged it to be a death chamber of torture, but it was oddly...plain.

" You leave before dawn," Kanda's steely voice interrupted his thoughts. " You touch me at all, and I will make sure they can't identify your body when they find it." With that, he marched into his bed, moving so that there was room for Allen, his back turned. He yanked the covers over himself, hogging most of them.

Allen stood watching the lump in the bed, feeling numb. Sure, he'd pushed and prodded, but he never actually expected Kanda to agree to this. It was something that came about from Lavi's reasoning, which was reason enough for it to fail. Reason enough, too, for Allen to put it out of his mind. And yet here he was.

He wondered again what was wrong with him, as he awkwardly crawled into _Kanda's bed _(oh man) and settled down as best he could.

The Japanese boy, meanwhile, was going over the numerous ways in which he could dismember Allen, cursing the invention of blackmail, and trying to ignore the shift in his bed.

Allen rested his head against the mattress (Kanda had taken the only pillow, of course) and immediately the sensation of warmth started to surround him. He grappled some of the sheets over to his side, reminding the silent swordsman what the point of this was.

" Why didn't you ask someone else?" Kanda growled lowly after a while, obviously still very awake.

The boy hesitated, knowing that he hadn't completely believed Lavi's insane logic. There was no definite reason why he'd taken the advice given to him, and then acted on it. The chills, or whatever this was, would've eventually passed, Allen knew it He knew it all, but still he didn't understand, at least, he willed himself not to.

" I don't know," he muttered.

" That's just great. Moyashi, you make me regret letting you live. I won't make the same mistake again," he ground out harshly.

" Yeah, yeah," Allen groused. He could smell something that was mildly cinnamon flavored all around, hating himself for loving the scent, knowing that it belonged to Kanda.

The minutes ticked on restlessly, and finally, it seemed as though Kanda had fallen asleep. The subtle sound of deep breathing resonated in the room, silence a heavy blanket. The heat was lulling, and Allen finally felt relief, his body relaxing.

He wondered if Kanda was abnormally cozy or something, ironic because he was such an impersonal guy.

Troubles melting away, he scooted a little closer to his heat source. Though he'd gotten his way, in some twisted turn of fate, he somehow wanted more. The boy wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt a distinct ache to be close to the other, so impossibly close that he could feel Kanda's heartbeat. Echoes of the intimacy they'd shared in the cave resounded in his head, and somehow, he wanted the solidness of Kanda's heat, and not just the sensation.

He blinked sleepily, attempting to clear his head. He was startled out of his thoughts when Kanda shifted over onto his side, the action causing them to become closer. His eyes were shut, and he sighed deeply before falling back into stillness.

Allen vaguely registered that he liked it better now that Kanda was closer, able to lend more warmth. He liked it a lot, actually, and the feeling made him uncomfortable. Allen batted the thought away, trying to shrug off the desire to move even closer.

Uncoiling his muscles again, Allen fell into a perfect pool of soothing peacefulness, the deep reassuring breaths now like a lullaby to his ears. In his toasty state, his thoughts wandered again.

Kanda didn't really have much of a reason to be doing this either, when he thought about it. What was blackmail, especially blackmail that would embarrass Allen too?

The boy hummed. " I like you like this," he slurred. He drifted off, hands stretching out just enough to brush against Kanda's, and the subtle contact was the last hazy thing Allen remembered before falling asleep.

--

Lavi yawned loudly, stretching in his bed before hopping up to face the day, early morning sun shining boldly through the window.

Recalling Allen's dilemma, he figured he'd go and bug him to see if his suggestion had worked.

He got dressed and slouched over to the boy's room, knocking at the door with an up-beat rhythm. There was no answer, so he knocked a little louder.

" Yoohoo, anyone alive in there?" he called, hand poised to knock again. When there was no response, not even a sleepy groan, Lavi turned the knob to find it wasn't even locked.

Peering in, he found no Allen. He walked up to his bed, laying a hand down on the sheets. They were cold as stone, and so if the boy had gone somewhere, he'd been gone for a while.

Seeing as it was still ridiculously early, Lavi highly doubted even Allen was up yet.

Lavi grinned. He closed the door with a soft _click_ on his way out.

--

Kanda's eyes struggled to open, fluttering annoyingly as the sun rudely assaulted him. He grimaced, and raised a hand to swat away the light when he realized there was a heavy weight settled around him.

He stiffened, quickly knowing what the dead weight was. _A bean sprout_.

This wasn't good...

Kanda almost startled enough to jump when he belatedly noticed his arm slung lazily around the other boy's form. He kept it in place because he told himself he'd rather not wake the other up. Really, this wouldn't have been so bad if they weren't quite so close. As it were, they were stuck together, and he could feel every contour of Allen's body, along with the weight of his legs curled with his, and the hands that were loosely tangled in his baggy shirt. Allen was practically _on top_ of him, sprawled out but gathered around him.

He growled, noticing how the hands twitched in a sluggish manner. The white head below him shifted slightly, and the hands suddenly tugged at his shirt.

" Mm," the short moan reached Kanda's ears with heightened clarity. Sleepy eyes were soon blinking at him owlishly, and Allen's lips quirked infinitesimally, as if he were happy to be seeing Kanda right when he woke up. Kanda immediately hoped he would fall back asleep, something like panic seizing his gut.

He wanted to slip away without having to deal with their current position. It was certainly different now that it wasn't forced for survival. (He also wondered distantly where his values had gone, opting for _slipping away quietly_ instead of kicking the bean sprout to the floor.) The change in instinctual reaction was scary, but try as he might, he couldn't take it back, couldn't deny it. When exactly had he—?

" Kanda," the boy pronounced drunkenly, almost questioningly, interrupting his thoughts.

" What?" he replied in his special 'you-are-not-amusing-me' tone, eyebrow raising. His patience was thinning, their prolonged proximity making it worse.

Awareness seemed to be seeping back into the idiot's brain. His eyes widened, and Kanda watched as reality came back to him. He was expecting the shocked look on Allen's face (maybe he'd been temporarily mentally disturbed when he'd forced his way into Kanda's bed?) but the spreading, settling expression of soft astonishment made him uneasy.

" Ah," Allen said, his voice wavering, croaking and unsure. " I like you...like...this."

--

Lavi found his feet bringing him to Yuu's room. He was good with directions, always had been; he simply knew his way around. Himself, a friend, it didn't matter, he knew his directions. Consequentially, he had a special knack for sensing them, for anticipating them, and to an extent, planning them.

So he'd known that his advice might just give a good strong _nudge_ in the right direction.

He hadn't necessarily thought it would actually work out, though.

The grin split across his face, and he choked on his chuckle.

--

Allen watched as Kanda's face transformed into that murderous, gleaming look that meant '_you should probably run._' Frantically wondering what had possessed him to say he 'liked Kanda,' he struggled to detach himself from the Japanese boy.

Oh man, this was not good, he thought. His throat constricted when he realized that he had really meant it. He squirmed, and was almost free until an iron grip held him in place, squeezing his wrist painfully. Allen glanced at the older's face again, and couldn't help the flinching. He was dead, so dead. And he would die exposed, like a confused wimp.

" Fuck you," came Kanda's heated threat. He aimed a searing glare at Allen, never relinquishing his hold.

Despite himself, and the situation, Allen responded with ire, _self-preservation_ belatedly, but strongly kicking in. He retaliated with his best glare, the hand in Kanda's grasp fisting tightly.

Somehow, the fact that they were very, very close didn't seem to register to either of them. Either that, or they were both acutely aware of it. Kanda was almost straddling the boy, and Allen was leaning up, pissed off and hopelessly defensive.

--

Lavi was going to knock at the door, though he wasn't normally in the practice of such etiquette, he decided this particular morning may require some tact on his part. No matter how eager he was, he figured a little caution would be wise.

It was one thing to barge in on Kanda or Allen; such disturbances were fun in equal right. But some things, some people...when he knew exactly what was behind a door, Lavi was compelled to be careful.

He lifted his hand to knock, but stopped right away when his ears picked up on the sounds coming from behind the closed door.

--

Somehow, they were both breathing deeply as they glared each other down. Somehow, Allen noted how odd the sensation of Kanda pressed to him was, despite the fact that by now it wasn't anything new.

Kanda, equally, somehow bothered to acknowledge the shivers running down his spine.

" Fuck you, Moyashi," Kanda seethed again, his voice soft despite its coarseness.

Allen jerked his head up to bare his teeth, deliberating about delivering a good head bash.

He squirmed momentarily, again trying to loosen the hold Kanda had on him. The motion didn't last long, and his eyes haphazardly darted back to the other's face, his body stilling.

Their eyes met in some stubborn, mutual understand. They could fight, push each other away, and deny...or...

Kanda growled shortly.

Allen scoffed harshly.

And they both met each other for a violent kiss, their lips opening impatiently, the feelings of confusion momentarily obliterated by the desperation. Kanda let go of Allen's wrist and their bodies quickly rearranged, hands clutching and pulling at each other in some insatiable need to get closer.

More, more.

Soon, it was one fierce, demanding kiss after the other. Allen's breath hitched in his throat, his mind on auto-pilot as he groaned into Kanda's mouth. His hands tangled themselves in long hair, tugging insistently. _This was wrong, wasn't it?_ Allen didn't care.

They separated for a moment, breath coming in heavy pants. They stared each other down, impatient for the loss of contact, but unwilling to speak or analyze. What could they say, what could they explain?

Blame that forced embrace in the cave. Blame Lavi for putting ideas in Allen's head, and blame assiduousness. But it wasn't their fault, no, it didn't matter. Blame inevitability.

" More," Allen demanded breathlessly, frowning.

Kanda didn't hiss anything about how he wasn't to be ordered around, miraculously. Allen grinned, seeing the compliance on Kanda's face, and promptly tugged him back to his lips. He tasted good, felt so good, and Allen was surprised at himself, because his heart was beating so fast.

He didn't want to stop, not now, not ever. He panicked, _knowing_ that now he was irreversibly attached to Kanda, and maybe he had been since the cave. But now he needed it, knew he wouldn't be able to go without. He'd barely gotten used to it, barely had any taste of what was to come, but Allen suddenly couldn't imagine stopping.

He was already drowning. He could get used to it.

He wanted more, even as Kanda pushed them into sloppy, messy kisses, and the air around them grew too hot. A hand threaded through white locks, and the other rested on the side of Allen's hip.

He moaned as his bottom lip was bitten lightly, scared and thrilled, and he reached out his arms, clutching and grabbing Kanda close. He was squirming now for a completely different reason, and loved to feel the resulting shiver that went through the other's body.

It wasn't just him who was drowning, and it was so good.

" I like you like this," Allen whispered hoarsely, his voice dripping with smugness and honey.

This time, this time it was Kanda who was shivering. Allen would be only too happy to oblige him by helping him warm up.

He met Kanda's eyes, smirking, before leaning up for another kiss, swallowing the annoyed growl. _More._

Oh yes, Allen could get used to this. Kanda silently agreed with him, his body shivering again as their bruised lips slid against each other.

--

Lavi touched his knuckles to his lips, attempted to stifle the hysterics from bubbling out. With one last furtive glance at the door, almost giggling as he heard a low moan (sure that it sounded like Yuu's voice) he quickly stepped away.

Of course he'd known all along that one couldn't fight hypothermia with will power alone, or by simply _thinking of a warm place _(oh, it made him giddy just thinking about the pathetic excuse). It was preposterous, to be sure. He knew there had to be an additional heat source when a body was verging on shutting down.

He knew.

It meant that Yuu had really been the perfect little heater for Allen, and now his role was extended a bit, well, swapped and shared, to say the least.

They'd _both_ be keeping each other warm from now on...

Lavi's laughs echoed off the walls.

* * *

[Spiffed this chapter up a bit too. En-joy]

BEWARE, for this is pure fangirl-related release.

I wasn't actually planning to continue this, but voila! Though this is pure silly fun, I couldn't pass up the need to write it. Yes,_ it is_ just pointless fun, and though I _tried_ to keep this canon-ish, I doubt I really succeeded. (I always find it hardest to write about the beginning or transition of a relationship, especially trying to pin what the characters would do and how they would react.) ANYWHO. It is finished now. :) I love these two boys a little too much, I think...

Care to drop a review? Tell me what you thought?

Much love, & Happy 2010 folks!  
Kyla


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